Evaluation report : Casamance regional development project, no. 685-0205

Special evaluation covers the period 8/78-6/81 and is based on document review and interviews with farmers, GOS officials, and staff of SOMIVAC, the implementing agency. A 1-year delay in start-up and climatic factors, particularly a 1980/81 drought, have kept the project from making measurable progress toward its goal of increasing crop production. At the output level, the project has fielded 49 of the 70 extension agents planned for 1981, begun construction of 2 small salt intrusion dams, and sent 11 of 12 participants for long-term U.S. training and 5 for short-term courses. Twenty ha of improved rice and corn seed varieties will be planted in 1981, and a provisional location has been selected for a 100-ha seed farm. Long-term TA has been provided for the agricultural research station and SOMIVAC, English-language training for SOMIVAC and research staff has begun, and 2 of the 3 planned long-term studies (a resource inventory and an anti-salt barrage related health survey) are underway. However, a restructured credit program has not been introduced: although credit for fertilizer and seed is available from the Government, medium-term credit has been suspended for 5 years. The health program is still in the planning stage, and the literacy program - the main vehicle for moving authority for agricultural development to the village level - is just beginning. The Project Paper underestimated the environmental constraints to the area's development potential and overestimated SOMIVAC capabilities. To overcome constraints to agriculture, the project has adopted a farming systems research approach, crop diversification, and increased varietal R&D. However, unbalanced progress among project components has inhibited overall achievement, and while the project should be able to achieve planned outputs, given a 2-year extension, a conscious effort must be made to emphasize decentralization and focus resources on village services rather than administration.